At Least 33 Myanmar Regime Forces Reported Killed in Three Days of Resistance Attacks

By The Irrawaddy 10 February 2023

At least 33 Myanmar junta troops and police were killed in three days of clashes, as People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) stepped up their attacks against regime targets across the country.

Resistance groups occupied a police station in a mountaintop town in Chin State, as well as targeting Myanmar military weapons factories in Magwe Region.

The incidents were reported in Chin, Mon, Shan and Kachin states and Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing regions.

The Irrawaddy has compiled the following reports of significant attacks by PDFs and EAOs.

Some military casualties could not be verified independently.

Police Station occupied in Chin

Four junta troops were killed on Thursday in Thantlang Township, Chin State when the Chin National Army (CNA) and the Chinland Defense Force-Thantlang raided the police station in the mountaintop town of Thantlang, according to the Chin National Front (CNF), the political wing of the CNA.

Around forty junta soldiers and police were based at the police station.

The ethnic Chin resistance groups managed to occupy the police station at 4am early Thursday morning after several hours of fighting. More than 40 weapons, including anti-drone guns, and ammunition were seized by the resistance fighters.

A CNA officer was killed and a resistance fighter injured in the battle. It is rare for the junta to admit to losing a town police station and to suffering casualties, along with losing weapons.

In retaliation, five military regime fighter jets bombed the area around Thantlang on Thursday, the CNF told The Irrawaddy.

Junta soldiers killed in Chin

Many regime troops were killed on Wednesday in a series of clashes with a combined force of ethnic Chin resistance groups in Matupi Township, Chin State, said Chinland Defense Force-Zotung, which took part in the attacks.

Two military weapons were seized in the clashes. There were no resistance casualties, said Chinland Defense Force-Zotung.

Regime police killed in Mandalay by PDF landmines

A vehicle carrying junta police being ambushed with landmines in Myingyan Township on Wednesday. /Nagarni Guerrilla Force

Nagarni Guerrilla Force (Myingyan) claimed to have killed 12 junta policeman on Wednesday using two clusters of 15 landmines. The vehicle carrying the police was ambushed in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region.

During the ambush, the vehicle was destroyed and all the police in it killed, said the PDF citing witnesses.

A PDF video shows a vehicle facing several landmine blasts.

Two junta troops die in Mandalay

At least two regime soldiers were killed and four others injured on Thursday in Natogyi Township, Mandalay Region, when Natogyi-PDF used landmines to ambush a military vehicle patrolling outside the town of Natogyi, according to the resistance group.

Junta airbase bombed in Mandalay

Resistance forces used four 90mm mortar shells to attack the junta airbase in Tada-U Township, Mandalay Region on Thursday night, reported Public Voice Television, the media wing of Myanmar’s parallel National Unity Government.

Regime casualties and damage to the base are unknown. Resistance fighters retreated from the area without any casualties.

Myanmar military weapons factories targeted in Magwe

People’s Revolution Alliance (Magwe) claimed that it used two 107mm mortar shells and a rocket- propelled grenade to attack the No.4 military weapons factory in Ngape Township, Magwe Region on early Thursday morning.

Some factory buildings are thought to have been damaged and some regime forces believed to have been injured, said the PDF.

On the same day. Eagle Forces PDF said that it attacked the No.12 military weapons factory in Thayet Township, Magwe Region with rocket-propelled grenades.

The PDF then used a drone to bomb a police outpost in Yaymyat Village, Thayet Township. However, military casualties and damage are still unknown.

Magwe military checkpoint attacked

Yenangyaung-PDF said that it and two other resistance groups attacked a military checkpoint outside the town of Yenangyaung, Magwe Region on Thursday morning.

Military casualties are unknown.

Police outpost in Magwe attacked

At least five junta soldiers and police were seriously injured on Wednesday in Salin Township, Magwe Region, when four PDFs attacked the Kanpyar police outpost on the Pathein-Monywa Highway, said Salin PDF which took part in the attack.

The PDFs used both firearms and rocket-propelled grenades in the attack. Some police buildings were burned down.

Junta base bombed by resistance drones in Mon

Many buildings, including the house of a battalion commander, were destroyed on Tuesday in Thaton Township, Mon State, when Hawk Revolutionary Squad used drones to drop four 60mm bombs on the base of Light Infantry Battalion 9, the PDF said.

Hawk Revolutionary Squad also conducted drone strikes on Tuesday against regime forces patrolling in Thaton Township. However, military casualties are unknown.

Ten junta troops killed in Kachin and Shan fighting

Kachin media outlet Kachinwaves reported that on Wednesday the Kachin Independence Army’s (KIA) Battalion 27 killed 10 junta soldiers and injured more in an attack on regime troops in Mansi Township, Kachin State.

Also on Wednesday and Thursday, fighting broke out between regime troops and the KIA in Kutkai Township, Shan State, according to Kachinwaves. No casualties from either side have been reported yet.

Five regime soldiers killed by junta shelling in Shan

Five junta troops were reportedly killed on Wednesday when regime artillery rounds targeting resistance forces hit a junta base in Pekon Township, Shan State, according to Moebye-PDF.

The resistance group had launched an attack on Wednesday morning on a military detachment along with Loikaw-PDF and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force. The convoy, which included an armored car, was heading to Moebye Town.

During the clash, three regime bases in the area launched artillery strikes in support of the military detachment. However, some of the junta artillery rounds landed on a regime base atop Sat Taw Yar Mountain, killing five soldiers, said Moebye-PDF.

Military transport vehicle ambushed in Sagaing

Many regime forces are thought to have been injured on Wednesday in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region, when four PDFs used landmines to ambush a vehicle carrying regime forces and rations from a pro-junta village to the base of the North West Military Command, claimed Special Forces-11 PDF which took part in the attack.

The resistance groups escaped without suffering any casualties, despite a junta force guarding the area opening fire at random, said Special Forces-11.